OUR KIND OF TRAITOR REVIEWED
“Our Kind of Traitor” tries to juggle many pieces that don’t quite work. The end result is a jigsaw puzzle of immense talent being shoved into a shaky structure. Ewan McGregor proves his ability to make inane dialogue sound amazing in what amounts to a TV movie forced onto the screen. Stellan Skarsgard tries to play heavy as a Russian oil tycoon, while his mafioso enemies linger like flies. The Russkie Oil guy is a world class money launderer and his skills might help the West. McGregor gets pushed around to make elements work for England, the US and points beyond. All the while, everyone menaces and mumbles close together in some sort of effort to have a class staredown.
What results is a filmed adaptation that will ghost past most audiences who find themselves tiring of lackluster blockbusters. While there have been many quality indie releases this summer, I’m still willing to call this summer the biggest bust since 2000. One can only hope that the Fall picks up the difference, but I’m not holding my breath. McGregor deserves better than this, as he bounces between projects trying to find that way to reconnect to that Boyle style magic. Hopefully, he gets with his trip back to the Trainspotting well.
FILM STATS
- 1 hr and 48 mins.
- Lionsgate
- R